In this podcast, Andrew Horbury, Director at the School of International Financial Services, talks through the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, decentralised finance and the blockchain.

In this podcast Peter Fowler, Managing Director at Lumi UK, talks about how the relationship between the investor relations and governance teams has evolved. He looks at how the investor relations team can enhance the corporate governance of an organisation through its strategy and events. Peter also discusses how the AGM as an event is changing, with the return to in-person meetings putting hybrid options fully on the table. He considers what the company secretarial and investor relations teams should be thinking about in the run up to the AGM and how technology can support the event.

In this podcast, Sharon Constançon discusses different tactics a company secretary or governance professional can use to help their board identify any unaddressed issues that are making it ineffective. Once it has been identified, Sharon outlines tactics to address and overcome the elephant in the room. The conversation covers how to get the unspeakable topic on the table, how to address disputes and bullying among directors and how to make sure critical risks are really being addressed. It looks at how the company secretary or governance professional can empower the board through coaching directors and facilitating governance improvements on behalf of the chair.

In this podcast, Deborah Garlick, Founder of Henpicked and CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, describes the realities of the menopause transition for women in the workplace. She explains that it’s about more than hot flushes and affects women in different ways at varying ages and stages in their life and career. Deborah outlines compelling reasons why menopause should be taken seriously by the board, from how it affects the bottom line to how it can influence brand and reputation. She also suggests practical steps company secretaries can take to help their board address menopause, highlighting a shift in public mood that makes this an urgent issue requiring immediate action.

In this podcast Sharon Constançon, CEO of Genius Boards, discusses how to address issues that are impeding board effectiveness that aren’t always easy to identify. Sharon likens the scenario to an octopus, where all the issues are linked to a common cause, represented by the head of the octopus. She goes on to outline how enhancing the emotional quotient (EQ) of the company secretary, the chair and the individual directors will allow the board as a whole to defuse those hard-to-identify issues it faces and allow it to achieve its full potential.

In this podcast Kerry Round, Founding Director of Round Governance Services, outlines how the governance of a company will change following an Initial Public Offering (IPO). She covers board structure, responsibilities, composition, and the need for board diversity. The discussion outlines how an IPO will affect important stakeholders such as employees, the policies the company will need to have in place, what disclosures will be required, and which external bodies the company secretary or governance professional will find themselves dealing with on a regular basis. Kerry describes an IPO as a career highlight and the role of the company secretary or governance professional in a listed company as fabulous.

In this podcast, Sharon Constançon explains how company secretaries and governance professionals can use their communication skills to improve the effectiveness of the board, creating the perfect environment for decision-making. Sharon outlines how company secretaries can learn communication skills as part of their career development and how they can use them to handle a range of difficult conversations. She describes tactics for tailoring communication styles to individuals to ensure the message is best received, enabling company secretaries to build trust while remaining authentic and allowing them to be a confidante for the directors. Sharon argues that communication is most effective when we take a caring, empathetic approach that acknowledges the human side of our colleagues and the challenges they face.

In this podcast James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses the boardroom of the future. He considers how its directors will use what are currently emerging technologies to fulfil their duties and carry out their responsibilities more effectively. James contemplates the potential for improving board effectiveness through using virtual assistant technology or chatbots in the boardroom, as well as taking into account the potential risks this functionality poses. James believes today’s boards are ready to embrace technology but warns against solutions for solutions’ sake, highlighting that the use of technology shouldn’t be at the expense of overall board effectiveness.

In this podcast James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses stakeholder capitalism and its significance for businesses today. He argues that stakeholder engagement is the means by which to achieve stakeholder capitalism because it allows the business to understand different stakeholders and therefore act in their interests. James argues that the convergence of many monumental events over the last two years has brought stakeholder capitalism into the limelight and front and centre for boards. He outlines innovative methods for engaging with two important stakeholder groups: customers and employees. James argues that organisations need to develop more sophisticated data points for understanding stakeholders, focusing on qualitive rather than quantitative data to bring stakeholder experiences to life.